Then when Brandon Kennedy looked to leave Alabama as a graduate transfer for Tennessee or Auburn, it created a controversy that made Nick Saban more defensive than normal.

Alabama initially blocked the transfer, but Kennedy a backup offensive lineman from Wetumpka, followed Pruitt as the SEC now allows grad transfers to relocate within the league and play right away.

So between the Pruitt hire and Kennedy transfer, this once great rivalry that’s gone way south in Alabama’s favor has some much-needed bite.

“It’ll probably add a lot to (the rivalry),” said Tennessee junior receiver Marquez Callaway about the Pruitt hire. “The players that he coached are still on the Alabama team. They may take it more personally or he may take it more personally. All we know is that when they come to us, we’re going to give them all we got.”

Alabama will probably pummel Tennessee again Oct. 20 in Knoxville, but Pruitt may turn UT around as quickly as another Saban defensive coordinator did at Georgia.

Kirby Smart went from losing to Vanderbilt in his first year in Athens to nearly beating Alabama in the College Football Playoff title game.

Now Pruitt has the challenge of rejuvenating the Vols and contending for an SEC title.

He has some kick to him now. Former Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray found that out after suggesting Pruitt isn’t a people person and that'll hinder him as a head coach.

Tennessee NCAA college football head coach Jeremy Pruitt speaks during Southeastern Conference Media Days Wednesday, July 18, 2018, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)(Photo11: John Bazemore, AP)

“Fifteen years ago, I was a kindergarten teacher,” said Pruitt, who was an assistant at Georgia in 2014-15. “Now I’m the head coach at Tennessee. You probably don’t make that ascension without knowing how to treat people.”

If Pruitt gets it going at UT, his attitude will go over well in Knoxville.

The Kennedy transfer proved to be the one of the final nails in the SEC rule change. Before it went down, Saban was in full bunker mode talking about it at SEC spring meetings in Destin, Florida.

“If we agree in the SEC in these meetings that we’re going to have free agency in our league and everybody can go wherever they want to go when they graduate and that’s what’s best for the game, then I think that’s what we should do,” Saban said.

“Then Brandon Kennedy can go wherever he wants to go. But if we don’t do that, why is it on me?”

So Saban, who is motivated by the smallest things, will likely have extra fuel going into the UT game, but Pruitt said this situation won’t cause any riff on his end between him and his former boss.

Jeremy Pruitt had two coaching stints under Nick Saban at Alabama.(Photo11: Associated Press)

“Absolutely not,” Pruitt said. “I respect Coach Saban. We’re friends. He’s been really good to me over the years. I wouldn’t be standing here if he hadn’t called and offered me a job one day, and I’m very thankful for him for doing that.”

Then again, Pruitt isn’t expecting Saban to help him out now that he's at Tennessee.